A Familiar Formula

Pitch-black. Darkness lingered before his eyes!

That was Giovanni's first impression after he was brought into the battle room.

But the Poké Ball clenched tightly in his hand gave Giovanni his greatest sense of security.

Huff!

With his keen senses enhanced by the Viridian Force, Giovanni could easily pick up the rapid breathing of the person opposite him.

He did not know who his opponent was, only that just one person would leave this room alive!

Hum.

A dazzling light came on in the room, illuminating the entire space.

The glare lasted only an instant, and there was no time to wipe away the tears streaming from his eyes.

Giovanni immediately released Weedle from his Poké Ball. "Come out, Weedle!"

The other person belatedly released her own Pokémon as well. "Come out, Oddish!"

Judging by her voice, it was a girl. They saw each other all the time, so Giovanni naturally knew her. Her name seemed to be Lizi.

Lizi, who was already trembling, completely broke down when she saw that her opponent was Giovanni. Tears poured from the corners of her eyes. "Giovanni!!"

No one wanted to face Giovanni, because everyone knew that facing him meant certain death.

Giovanni did not hold back just because his opponent was a girl. Holding back now would mean failing himself. "Weedle, Poison Sting!"

In reality, attacking first no longer depended on a Pokémon's speed, but on who threw their ball faster and released their Pokémon sooner.

Clearly, Giovanni was a little faster.

Weedle attacked instantly, sending poisonous needles flying toward Oddish.

Although Poison Sting could not poison Oddish, it could still inflict some external injuries.

Lizi hurriedly shouted, "Dodge, Oddish!"

Oddish hastily dodged, but the poisonous needles still grazed its body, drawing drops of sap. It seemed to be in some pain.

Lizi shouted, "Oddish!"

Giovanni's voice kept ringing out like a nightmare. "String Shot, bind it!"

Weedle opened its mouth and sprayed strands of white silk, instantly binding Oddish to the floor.

Oddish fell to the floor and struggled constantly.

Seeing this, Lizi hurriedly ordered:

"Oddish, hurry and use Acid to dissolve the silk!"

Following Lizi's instructions, Oddish quickly used Acid, which did indeed dissolve the silk on its body.

But in that brief moment when it was bound, its trainer was in danger.

This was not a battle under League rules, but a fight to the death. Using Pokémon to attack the opponent was perfectly normal.

Without the slightest hesitation, Giovanni ordered Weedle:

"Use Poison Sting on her!"

Weedle obeyed and immediately unleashed the move!

Poisonous needles shot through the air, moving so fast that Lizi had no chance to dodge.

Crimson flowers of blood bloomed in the room, and her frail body collapsed to the floor.

Yet at the very end, she let out a voice filled with utter venom. "Oddish, kill them!"

Oddish froze for a moment, then was consumed by extreme rage. Its little eyes glowed red.

It charged madly toward Giovanni and Weedle, a trace of resolve now showing on its simple, dopey face.

Its body gave off a faint glow and grew slightly larger. It was the move Growth.

As its body grew, its strength would increase somewhat as well.

Unfortunately, a Pokémon that had lost its trainer's guidance and was blinded by rage could not bring much of its strength to bear.

Giovanni pointed at its two little feet and said:

"Keep using String Shot! Then continuous Poison Sting, don't give it a chance to use Acid!"

Weedle did as instructed.

The white silk targeted Oddish's legs, tripping it right in front of them.

Then came poisonous needles like a torrential storm!

Under the constant attacks, Oddish let out one agonized scream after another.

Suddenly, it forcibly broke through the silk and charged at Weedle, using Absorb.

Weedle felt its stamina gradually draining away.

Meanwhile, the injuries on the opposing Oddish were actually slowly healing.

At that moment, however, Giovanni suddenly appeared beside Lizi and drove the dagger in his hand viciously into her body.

Already barely breathing, Lizi screamed again.

Oddish turned its head and saw the scene.

But Giovanni only wanted to draw its attention for an instant.

Because Weedle had already leaped to its side, opened its mouth, and bitten savagely into its body!

Emerald-green sap flowed out or was swallowed by Weedle. Oddish struggled frantically, but to no avail.

As it continued feeding, Weedle actually gained another level and learned a new move.

"Bug Bite!"

Already powerless to resist, Oddish had reached the very end.

Giovanni also pronounced Lizi's death sentence. Rather than let her die in agony, he would give her a quick end.

The bloodstained dagger in Giovanni's hand fell decisively, plunging straight into her slender neck. A brilliant purple-red flower bloomed.

A girl in the bloom of youth withered away just like that.

Likewise, the constantly struggling Oddish did not escape its fate. With half its body eaten away by Weedle, it ultimately died in that sealed room.

Beep!

The door slowly opened, and Giovanni, having wiped the blood from his dagger, slowly walked out with Weedle.

Among the row of rooms, he seemed to be the first to come out.

The Team Rocket member in charge of this section showed neither surprise nor shock at the sight of Giovanni. He merely asked flatly:

"Where's your opponent's Pokémon?"

Giovanni pointed inside and answered coldly:

"Dead."

The Team Rocket member went inside to check, then gave Giovanni a long look. "You can go. Classes continue tomorrow."

From his tone, it seemed the lives that had just ended inside were not worth mentioning at all.

Yes, they were all just worthless lives.

Giovanni nodded and left expressionlessly. The flecks of blood on his hands could no longer be washed clean.

Besides, he was very busy. To preserve this worthless life of his, he needed to give it everything he had.

Apart from Giovanni's room, the same things were happening in dozens of rooms nearby.

Slaughter! Frenzied slaughter!

The stench of blood filled the area, nauseatingly thick.

Boys battered one another while Pokémon fought other Pokémon to the death.

A boy with a savage expression gripped a girl's neck tightly, refusing to let go no matter how she struggled.

Behind him, an Ekans constricted a Rattata until its internal organs ruptured and seeped out of its mouth.

There was also a strong boy who smashed his opponent's head to a pulp, punch after punch!

A Machop held an unlucky Psyduck in a rear naked choke. Psyduck's fuzzy yellow face had turned red from suffocation, and its bloodshot eyes bulged out.

A boy and his Pokémon lay miserably on the floor, their bodies riddled with Shuriken, as a bat continuously drank their blood.

Another girl watched with a cold expression as an Ivysaur used Leech Seed to burrow into her opponent's body and drain them into a desiccated corpse...